Team USA Basketball

The United States likely will be without at least a few of its biggest stars at this summer's Tokyo Olympics. 

According to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, "neither LeBron James nor Anthony Davis is expected to play for Team USA due to their terrible seasons of injuries."

He added that Golden State Warriors MVP finalist Stephen Curry is "50-50" on whether he'll participate, while Damian Lillard is "believed to have strong interest in playing, though no final decision has been made."

Team USA's roster for the upcoming Olympics remains a major question mark, especially after a compressed NBA season due to the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in a number of superstars dealing with injuries throughout the season. 

Will players who have battled through injuries this season or postseason like Kevin Durant, James Harden, Chris Paul and Kemba Walker, among others, be willing to essentially give up their postseason? (Team USA training camp opens in July.)

How many players might remove themselves if their teams go on deep playoff runs?

A player like Jayson Tatum, who dealt with COVID-19 this season but was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, told reporters he was undecided as of yet.

“It definitely is something to think about,” he said last week. “Obviously, going two or three years kind of without much of a break, but obviously that’s an incredible opportunity, and something I’ve got to think about further down the line.”

The United States has an enormously talented pool of players to pull from, with 57 finalists for the roster. That will be naturally whittled down as players choose to skip the Olympics, but the Americans should still be the favorites even if a number of superstars skip Tokyo. 

Team USA basketball made history Sunday, though not the kind it'll want to repeat.

The United States men missed out on qualifying for the Olympics in 3x3 basketball with a loss to the Netherlands, marking the first time in Olympic history that the U.S. men's or women's teams failed to qualify for a basketball event (h/t Nick Zaccardi of NBC Sports). 

🇳🇱@3x3NL defeat 🇺🇸 USA and are only ONE win away from the @Tokyo2020 Olympics! #3x3OQT pic.twitter.com/no1XRzg1cK

— 3x3 Basketball | FIBA3x3 (@FIBA3x3) May 30, 2021

The U.S. women are still alive and will face Spain in the semifinals.

The Tokyo Olympics will be the first to feature 3x3 basketball, which is only played on half of the court. Baskets in the paint and from the line earn one point, while beyond-the-arc makes are worth two points. The first team to 21 points or the leading team at the end of 10 minutes wins. 

The group struggled to survive a late push by the Netherlands, which hit four two-point attempts in the final three minutes, 38 seconds as the United States fell 21-16. Team USA shot 15-of-25 but was just 1-of-6 from deep.

The United States men defeated Lithuania, South Korea, Kazakhstan and Belgium en route to their quarterfinals bout against the Netherlands. The roster was made up of former collegiate stars in Joey King (Minnesota), Dominique Jones (Fort Hays State), Kareem Maddox (Princeton) and Robbie Hummel (Purdue). 

In the men's bracket, the Netherlands advanced to a semifinals matchup against France, which defeated Brazil in the quarterfinals. On both the men's and women's sides, the semifinals winners earn an Olympic bid, while the losers will compete for the final spot in a third-place game.

Automatic bids were awarded to the top three countries in the FIBA rankings on Nov. 1, 2019, but the United States was ranked fifth behind Serbia, Russia, China and Mongolia at the time, per Zaccardi.

One final Olympic spot will be up for grabs at a qualifying tournament in June, but the United States is not eligible because the tournament is for teams that did not send a basketball squad to the 2012 or 2016 Olympics.

USA Basketball announced its list of 57 finalists, including 15 new additions, for the men's national team ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.

The final team this summer will be coached by Gregg Popovich and feature 12 players.

LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant are among the big names on the initial list, while the additions include younger players like Zion Williamson and Trae Young.

"With the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics from 2020 to 2021, it's important that we continue to remain flexible and consider all players who can contribute to our efforts to field the best USA team possible," managing director Jerry Colangelo said. "These additions we are announcing today will help ensure that we are doing that."

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Marcus Smart was invited, but "opted out due to injury concerns from playing late into consecutive seasons and a shortened offseason this summer."

The United States has won gold in each of the last three Olympic Games, including going 8-0 in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games behind Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Carmelo Anthony.

LeBron was on the last team not to win it all—the 2004 squad took home a bronze medal—but he helped the 2008 and 2012 teams earn first place. After skipping the 2016 Games, the 36-year-old said he is undecided about playing this summer.

"It's always predicated on: one, my body, how my body is feeling at the end of the season—I hope to make a long playoff run," he told reporters in February. "And then where my mind is and then where my family's head is. So it's a lot of factors, but my name is in the hat."

Curry has never competed in the Olympics, but the 32-year-old has won gold with Team USA at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.

While several players will certainly drop out before the list is finalized, the overall talent ensures the Americans will be the favorite to win it all.

     

Full List of Finalists 

• Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat)
• LaMarcus Aldridge (San Antonio Spurs)
• *Jarrett Allen (Cleveland Cavaliers)
• Harrison Barnes (Sacramento Kings)
• Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards)
• Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)
• Malcolm Brogdon (Indiana Pacers)
• Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics)
• Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat)
• Mike Conley (Utah Jazz)
• Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
• Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers)
• DeMar DeRozan (San Antonio Spurs)
• Andre Drummond (Cleveland Cavaliers)
• Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets)
• Paul George (Los Angeles Clippers)
• *Eric Gordon (Houston Rockets)
• *Jerami Grant (Detroit Pistons)
• Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors)
• *Blake Griffin (Brooklyn Nets)
• James Harden (Brooklyn Nets)
• Montrezl Harrell (Los Angeles Lakers)
• Joe Harris (Brooklyn Nets)
• Tobias Harris (Philadelphia 76ers)
• Gordon Hayward (Charlotte Hornets)
• *Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks)
• Dwight Howard (Philadelphia 76ers)
• Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans)
• Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn Nets)
• LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)
• *DeAndre Jordan (Brooklyn Nets)
• Kyle Kuzma (Los Angeles Lakers)
• *Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls)
• Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers)
• Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers)
• Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks)
• Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers)
• Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors)
• JaVale McGee (Cleveland Cavaliers)
• Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks)
• Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz)
• Victor Oladipo (Houston Rockets)
• Chris Paul (Phoenix Suns)
• Mason Plumlee (Detroit Pistons)
• *Julius Randle (New York Knicks)
• *Duncan Robinson (Miami Heat)
• *Mitchell Robinson (New York Knicks)
• Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
• Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers)
• *Fred VanVleet (Toronto Raptors)
• Kemba Walker (Boston Celtics)
• *John Wall (Houston Rockets)
• Russell Westbrook (Washington Wizards)
• Derrick White (San Antonio Spurs)
• *Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans)
• *Christian Wood (Houston Rockets)
• *Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks)

*New addition  

The United States men's basketball team will create a pre-Olympics bubble in Las Vegas with Spain and Australia in an effort to train and play scrimmage games ahead of this summer's Tokyo Games, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

"On the surface, it makes a lot of sense," Team USA managing director Jerry Colangelo said. "We have to be flexible."

One of the reasons the plan is feasible is that Spain and Australia all are loaded with NBA players who will already be in the United States. Spain has five NBA players who have previously been on the national roster (Marc Gasol, Ricky Rubio, Serge Ibaka, Juancho Hernangomez and Willy Hernangomez). Australia has 10, led by Ben Simmons and Joe Ingles.

Team USA is also trying to get FIBA, the U.S. Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee to push back the date for countries to submit their rosters since the NBA season isn't set to conclude until three days before Team USA's first game.

The start to the NBA season this year was pushed back after last season's hiatus and autumn conclusion amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Colangelo and Team USA also want to see roster changes permitted during the Olympic tournament itself.

"These are not normal times. Rosters by a certain date doesn't make any sense," Colangelo said. "What we're seeking is flexibility to substitute players very late and to get the best players on the court. It doesn't just apply to us but for all the countries."

Granted, whether the Olympics actually occur amid the pandemic remains to be seen.

In January, IOC senior member Dick Pound told the Associated Press he "can't be certain" the Games will be held this year due to "the ongoing elephant in the room" of potential "surges in the virus." Japanese minister Taro Kono added that "anything is possible" regarding the Olympics and holding this year's Games "could go either way."

IOC president Thomas Bach has tried to downplay cancellation concerns, however.

"We have, at this moment, no reason whatsoever to believe that the Olympic Games in Tokyo will not open on the 23rd of July in the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo," he told Kyodo News. "This is why there is no plan B, and this is why we are fully committed to make these games safe and successful."

The USA Basketball men's squad has reportedly sent invitations to players as it begins preparations for the 2021 Olympics.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Team USA sent approximately 60 invites "to players expressing interest in being part of 2021 Olympic team player pool, including all the [NBA]'s big names."

Wojnarowski added that Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo and Houston Rockets center Christian Wood are among the players who received invitations.

Per Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, Duncan Robinson, Zion Williamson, Trae Young and Ja Morant are among the players added to the pool for consideration. 

Reynolds noted the other players are likely among the 44 finalists named by USA Basketball in February 2020, including LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Kevin Durant.

Team USA is in a potentially tricky spot when it comes to trying to fill its 12-man roster for the Tokyo Games.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told NBA TV (h/t ESPN's Tim Bontemps) in October that the league is "unlikely" to pause its season for the Olympics.

"Because, as you know, it's not just a function of stopping for the period in which they are competing over in Tokyo," he said. "But they require training camp, and then they require rest afterward."

The usual NBA calendar ends in mid-June, but the 2020-21 calendar is scheduled to run as late as July 22 if the Finals go to seven games. The league adopted a 72-game regular season that began Dec. 22 after the 2019-20 campaign ended in October because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Olympics opening ceremonies are scheduled to take place July 23. The men's basketball competition is scheduled to run from July 25-August 7.

Team USA has won 15 gold medals in the Olympics, including three straight dating back to 2008.

Michael Jordan denied having direct involvement in Isiah Thomas being left off the Dream Team for the 1992 Summer Olympics during The Last Dance documentary, but he previously provided a different version of events to former Sports Illustrated writer Jack McCallum.

McCallum has started a Dream Team Tapes podcast with audio clips from old interviews featuring many of the Team USA players from the Barcelona Games, including one Monday featuring Jordan talking about Thomas (via Dan Feldman of NBC Sports).

"Rod Thorn called me. I said, 'Rod, I won't play if Isiah Thomas is on the team,'" MJ said. "He assured me. He said, 'You know what? Chuck doesn't want Isiah. So, Isiah is not going to be part of the team.'"

Thorn, the executive in charge of building the 1992 Olympic roster, denied Jordan made reference to Thomas during their discussions in an April interview on ESPN's Golic & Wingo.

"There was never anything in my conversation with [Jordan] that had to do with Isiah Thomas, period," said Thorn, who drafted Jordan as the Chicago Bulls general manager in 1984. "He said, 'I'll do it.' ... Isiah's name never came up during that conversation. And he never backtracked and said he didn't want to do it from that time on, to those of us in the NBA office."

The Last Dance spotlighted Thomas' on-court issues with Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, three of the Dream Team's cast of superstars. The Bulls legend said "it wasn't me" who kept Thomas off the roster, but admitted the feeling around the team would have changed if the Detroit Pistons star was picked.

"The Dream Team, based on the environment and the camaraderie that happened on that team...it was the best harmony," Jordan said in the ESPN documentary. "Would Isiah have made a different feeling on that team? Yes."

It's ultimately a matter of semantics.

Jordan wasn't the decision-maker for the Olympic roster, so the final call about whether Thomas made the team wasn't his, but if he made USA Basketball choose between himself or the then-31-year-old point guard, the choice would have been a no-brainer despite Thomas' own strong resume.

Thomas, who in 2000 was voted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, discussed his feelings on the situation on ESPN's Get Up after the episode that featured discussion about his snub aired in April:

"Looking back, if I'm not a part of the Dream Team because a lapse in emotion in terms of not shaking someone's hand ... then I am more disappointed today than I was back then."

Isiah Thomas is still "hurt" that he was left off the Dream Team. pic.twitter.com/YkRt8zIY09

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 27, 2020

The Dream Team dominated the competition in Barcelona, beating opponents by an average of 43.8 points, including a 32-point triumph over Croatia in the gold-medal game.

It's unlikely Thomas' presence would have made much of a difference on the court.

The 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team, also known as the Dream Team, is arguably the best sports team ever assembled.

A group of 12 of the NBA's best pros gathered together to take on competition in Barcelona during the summer of 1992 and emerged with the gold medal after winning their eight games by an average of 43.75 points.

The players were at various levels in their NBA careers at the time. Boston Celtics forward Larry Bird had played his last NBA game. Duke forward Christian Laettner hadn't started his yet. And Michael Jordan was approaching the end of the first three-peat of NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls.

      

Michael Jordan

Career Earnings: $93,772,500 (Spotrac)

Career Stats: 30.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.3 APG, 2.3 SPG

Net Worth: $2.1 billion (Forbes)

The man who authored some of the game's most iconic individual moments in NBA history retired as the game's leading scorer and its best player.

Debate reigns eternally over whether Jordan or LeBron James owns the GOAT title today, but Jordan's Bulls laid waste to the competition in the 1990s, winning the title every season in which Jordan was there from beginning to end.

Jordan finished his career with six NBA championships, and five of them occurred against Dream Team teammates. The lone exception was the 1995-96 Seattle SuperSonics.

    

Magic Johnson

Career Earnings: $39,342,860 (Spotrac)

Career Stats: 19.5 PPG, 11.2 APG, 7.2 RPG, 1.9 SPG

Net Worth: Johnson's net worth is not publicly known, but his investment conglomerate, Magic Johnson Enterprises, has a $1 billion value, per its website.

One of the most decorated basketball players in the sport's history led his collegiate team (Michigan State) to the 1979 NCAA championship before leading his NBA team (the Los Angeles Lakers) to the NBA title during his 1979-80 rookie year.

Johnson won five NBA titles in his career, but the first may have been the most impressive. Facing the Philadelphia 76ers without big man Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals, the 6'9" Johnson was forced to move from point guard to center.

That stunning move ended up working, as Magic dropped 42 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and three steals in 47 minutes in a 123-107 road win. It remains one of the best single-game performances in the sport's history.

    

Larry Bird

Career Earnings: $24,070,000 (Spotrac)

Career Stats: 24.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.7 SPG

The three-time NBA champion and back-to-back-to-back NBA MVP played 13 NBA seasons, all with the Boston Celtics. The C's had fallen on hard times before Bird's arrival in 1979, missing the playoffs in three consecutive seasons following a championship win in 1976.

But Bird immediately turned the team around upon his arrival, guiding the C's to a 61-21 record in 1979-80. They lost to the eventual Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals but won it all one year later.

      

Patrick Ewing

Career Earnings: $118,223,608 (Spotrac)

Career Stats: 21.0 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 2.4 BPG, 1.0 SPG

One of the most decorated men's college basketball athletes of all time arrived in New York with massive expectations in 1985 after being drafted first overall.

Ewing excelled at Madison Square Garden, helping the Knicks reach two NBA Finals. But the Knicks suffered the unlucky fortune of being in the same conference as Jordan's Bulls, who took them out of the postseason five times from 1989 to 1996.

Still, the big man delivered for the Knicks, becoming a near-unstoppable force down low.

      

Charles Barkley

Career Earnings: $40,301,000 (Spotrac)

Career Stats: 22.1 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.5 SPG

The Round Mound of Rebound was a stat-stuffing machine who did his best work with the 1992-93 Phoenix Suns, winning the NBA MVP award and taking his team to the NBA Finals, where they lost to Jordan's Bulls.

That Suns team was arguably the Bulls' toughest opponent during the 1990s Chicago dynasty: Phoenix finished a league-best 62-20 and nearly pushed the NBA Finals to seven games before John Paxson's clutch jumper with seconds left helped seal its fate.

Barkley was a double-double machine throughout his career, which primarily occurred with the Suns and 76ers. He made 11 All-Star teams and 11 All-Pro teams during his career.

        

Clyde Drexler

Career Earnings: $31,147,000 (Basketball Reference)

Career Stats: 20.4 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 5.6 APG, 2.0 SPG

Clyde "The Glyde" Drexler enjoyed a decorated collegiate and pro career that started with the "Phi Slamma Jamma" University of Houston teams and continued into the NBA, first as the alpha for the Portland Trail Blazers and then in a supporting role on Hakeem Olajuwon's Houston Rockets.

Drexler led Portland to two Western Conference titles in 1990 and 1992, but they ran into two buzzsaw dynasties in the "Bad Boy" Detroit Pistons and Jordan's Bulls.

He never won a title in Portland but did so twice with ex-Cougar teammate Olajuwon in 1995, serving as the team's secondary scorer behind the big man.

     

David Robinson

Career Earnings: $110,708,513 (Spotrac)

Career Stats: 21.1 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3.0 BPG, 1.4 SPG

The Admiral's career was a play in two acts. First, he served as the San Antonio Spurs' superstar for much of the 1990s, scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds with ease every night.

Second, he served as the wingman to superstar power forward Tim Duncan, who then led the Spurs to NBA titles in 1999 and 2003.

The 1993-94 scoring title winner retired on top following the second championship, capping a stellar career.

     

Scottie Pippen

Career Earnings: $109,957,430 (Spotrac)

Career Stats: 16.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 5.2 APG, 2.0 SPG

Net Worth: $30 million to $50 million (Newsweek)

The best wingman in NBA history won six titles with the Bulls, but his work with the 1993-94 team sans a retired Jordan explains why he's one of the game's greats.

Even without MJ, the Bulls went 55-27, with Pippen posting 22.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.9 steals in 38.3 minutes per game. He made the All-NBA First Team and led Chicago to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, where the Bulls lost to the Knicks in a closely contested seven-game series.

     

John Stockton

Career Earnings: $67,753,000 (Basketball Reference)

Career Stats: 13.1 PPG, 10.5 APG, 2.7 RPG, 2.2 SPG

The NBA's all-time leader in assists and steals was a thorn in opponents' sides on both ends for nearly two decades, all with the Jazz.

He and teammate Karl Malone helped the Jazz navigate a tough Western Conference in the 1980s and 1990s that featured a bevy of talent including Johnson's Lakers, Drexler's Blazers and Olajuwon's Rockets. The Jazz more than held their own as perennial playoff contenders.

     

Karl Malone

Career Earnings: $104,133,378 (Spotrac)

Career Stats: 25.0 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.4 SPG

Karl "The Mailman" Malone was a menace down low who averaged 25 points per night. He and Stockton led the Jazz to back-to-back Western Conference titles in 1997 and 1998. Unfortunately, the Jazz ran into Jordan's Bulls both years and lost the NBA Finals in six games each time.

Still, Malone left the game as one of the unquestioned top 10 bigs of all time.

     

Chris Mullin

Career Earnings: $40,424,600 (Basketball Reference)

Career Stats: 18.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.6 SPG

Chris Mullin made a name for himself as one-third of the "Run TMC" Golden State Warriors with Tim Hardaway and Mitch Richmond, creating a dynamic offensive team under head coach Don Nelson.

He also enjoyed a second act on ex-Dream Team teammate Larry Bird's Indiana Pacers en route to three straight Eastern Conference Finals appearances (and one win) from 1998 to 2000.

The sweet-shooting Mullin was also a star at St. John's in Queens, New York, leading his team to the 1985 Final Four, where they lost to Ewing's Georgetown Hoyas.

    

Christian Laettner

Career Earnings: $61,485,000 (Basketball Reference)

Career Stats: 12.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.1 SPG

Christian Laettner was the game's best college basketball player in the early 1990s and stands as one of the most accomplished of all time. He led Duke to three straight national titles, winning the final two.

Laettner didn't enjoy the same success in the pros but carved out a more-than-respectable career for over a decade from the power forward spot.

The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo are officially postponed to no later than the summer of 2021 amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo supports the decision, as told to The Athletic's Michael Lee.

"Candidly, the fact that the games have been postponed, I'm pleased about that for many, many reasons. I think enough time, hopefully, would've gone by that the fear is gone. Let's start with that. Also, the availability of people will be much stronger if we have this period of time here to prepare."

Per the World Health Organization, 416,686 worldwide cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed, and 18,589 people have died as of March 25.

"I'm looking forward to having a discussion with you about the good stuff. The stuff we want to talk about," Colangelo told Lee. "We've been preoccupied with the world right now. Let's just focus on fighting the virus, doing the right things, getting the economy back on track. There are more important things to worry about."

As Lee noted, at least 10 NBA players have confirmed cases of COVID-19, including the Brooklyn Nets' Kevin Durant and Utah Jazz's Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. Sports worldwide are at a standstill as the pandemic continues its spread.

At some point, however, it will be safe to resume normal life and hold events such as the Olympics, which will bring about a unique challenge for Colangelo as he helps choose players for the next Summer Games.

In an interview with Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, Colangelo said he'll need the exact timeframe of the Olympics before forming a player pool.

"There really are a lot outstanding players," Colangelo said. "We want to give the world our very best. You start with that and then you work however you need to. You make the adjustments as they're required. Internally, we'll be talking about all kinds of backup plans."

For example, holding the Olympics in the spring would likely preclude choosing NBA players, with the focus instead on the college ranks and G League. A late-spring offering could include stars whose seasons are over. A summer start could provide a full player pool.

That's far down the road, however, with the immediate focus on beating COVID-19, as Colangelo said.

On Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee officially postponed the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo to no later than the summer of 2021 amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

In response, thousands of athletes, coaches and governing bodies planning on taking part in the competition in some capacity must adjust to a new timeline.

In that respect, USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo told Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today that he'll need to know the dates of the new Olympics before forming a player pool of candidates for the team.

"There really are a lot outstanding players," Colangelo said. "We want to give the world our very best. You start with that and then you work however you need to. You make the adjustments as they're required. Internally, we'll be talking about all kinds of backup plans."

"Just give me the dates and we will know what to do," he added.

As Zillgitt noted, the timing of the new Olympics is everything, with the possibility that NBA players may not be available if the Games fall sometime during the 2020-21 season.

It's not uncommon for an American sports league to pause during the Olympics, with the WNBA and NHL notably doing so in past years.

That's never been an issue for the NBA, whose season is always over before the Games begin. But if it isn't this go-around, then the timing of when players are available could impact the team selection, per Zillgitt:

"If the Olympics fall in early spring, there's a chance no NBA players are available with its regular-season still in play. If the Olympics are later in the spring, players whose teams weren't in the playoffs or players whose teams have been eliminated from the playoffs will be available. Or, if they're in the summer, after the NBA Finals, USA Basketball could have its pick of top players."

With that in mind, Colangelo may have to choose the best college players, the majority of whom will see their seasons end by March. As Zillgitt noted, G League players could also be in the mix.

Regardless of what happens, Colangelo also said that this will be his last Olympics, ending a decorated career that saw him oversee gold medals for Team USA in 2008, 2012 and 2016:

“I've been told I can continue as long as I wanted to but it's time for someone else. I'm going to finish this role, and instead of 2020, it will be 2021 and that's fine. I'm totally committed to it. I want to finish strong. It's been a great run, a great experience for me and a lot of great things have happened with USA Basketball since 2005. It's time to pass the torch after the next Olympics."

Colangelo, 80, was also a four-time NBA executive of the year and former owner of the Phoenix Suns.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James gave credit to international basketball squads Saturday after Team USA's seventh-place showing at the FIBA World Cup earlier this month.

"The rest of the world is better," James told reporters after practice. "But we continue to get better as well as Americans."

Team USA featured a talented crew that included Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, but many of the game's best players—including James—did not play in the tournament.

James also noted that having more star talent doesn't guarantee success.

"No," James said. "It doesn't because you still have to go out there and work and play the game. But it does strengthen our team, and it does give us a very good chance going into the worlds if we were all to do that."

Team USA will turn its attention to the 2020 Summer Olympics, which begin on July 24 in Tokyo.

Per Mark Medina of USA Today, superstars Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis, James Harden and Damian Lillard "all expressed an openness toward returning," as has James.

"James maintained that he would love to play for the U.S. Olympic team again," Medina wrote. James also said he "will always bleed red, white and blue."

Davis also made his intentions clear Saturday:

Anthony Davis wants to play for Team USA next summer pic.twitter.com/I0i7deyxEw

— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) September 28, 2019

Although Team USA finished seventh at the World Cup, it still earned a berth in the 2020 Summer Olympics by virtue of being one of the top two teams from the FIBA Americas zone. Argentina is the other.

Team USA has won gold at the Summer Olympics in six of the last seven Games.